Bending apparatus



Dec. 1'77,l 1929. H. M. HESSENBRUCH BENDING APPARATUS I5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 4, 1926 QN N , INVENTOR.- jzzrmcfzzajssezznw, www

TTHRNEYS.

Dec.- 17, 1929. H. M. HEssENBRucH 1,740,091-

BENDING APPARATUS Filed June 4, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 W l TNESSES IN VNTOR I Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATESl PATENT. OFFICE v HERMANN IVI. HESSNBRUCI-I, OF ROSEMONT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD L. IDAVIS,v OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA BENDING APPARATUS Application filed .Tune 4, 1926.

ytwobends could be made at a time, especially when operating upon the heavier stocks. Accordingly, work under. such conditions is necessarily slow, costly and not always reliable as to accuracy, more particularly when production of successive duplicates 'is required.

The purpose of my invention is to overcome the various `difficulties and drawbacks above pointed out by providing an efficient apparatus capable of being liberally adjusted 'to accommodate blanks of any length, as

well' as'to accurately predetermine the desired `shapes in the finished bars, and of making therrequired bends all at the one time.

How the foregoingA and other advantages may be readily realized'iijill be apparent from ",the' detailed description hereinafter ofthe typical embodiment-of my invention illustrated in the drawings; whereof Fig. I nis a plan view-more'or less diagrammatically'representedv-of the complete apparatusshowing the various parts positioned in readiness "to bend va bar or rod.

Fig. II is a similar view, with some of Y the detail omitted, showing the parts in positions assumed incidental to the bending of a bar or rod. p

Fig. III is af plan view of one of the two component sections of the apparatus, on a larger yscale than that of the preceding illustrations, with a portion broken away and in section to expose certain important details.

Fig. IVis an end elevation of one of the sections aforesaid viewedvin the direction of the arrows IV-IV in Fig. III.

Serial No. 113,604.

Fig.. V is a side elevation of the section aforesaid, viewed in the direction of the arrows V-V in Fig. III; and

Fig. VI is a staggered fragmentary detail sectional illustration taken as indicated by the arrows VI-VI in Fig. III.

In the complete assemblies of Figs. I and II, the apparatus is shown as embodying two carriages comprehensively designated 10, 1() which, with the exception of being rights and lefts, are exact duplicates of one another. The carriages 10, 10 are shiftable along track rails 11, 11 by means of a differential screw 12, adapted to be rotated by a, centrally-located actuating mechanism generally indicted by the numeral 13. This actuating mechanism 13 comprises a gear wheel 14 that is affixed to the screw 12 between stationary bearings 15, 15, and driven by a worm 16 on the shaft of a prime mover 17, inthe present instance conventionally` represented as an -electric motor. g A suitable reversing switch (not shown) is employed to control the motor 17 'in order that thescrew 12 may be driven in opposite directions to move the carriages 10 toward or away from each other as desired or required. As ,an aid to predetermine the spacing of the carriages 10 as aforesaid, one of the track rails 11 is graduated as shown at 18 in Figs. I and II.

In view of the similarity of the carriages 10, 10, the same reference characters will be used to designate Vcorresponding parts, and, for the sake of brevity, such parts will, for the time being, be mentioned in the singular. vWith reference now more particularly to Figs. III, IV, V and VI wherein the righthand end carriage 10 is illustrated to a larger scale than in the assembly views, 20 indicates the sub-platform or truck which is equipped with wheels 21 for traverse on the track rails 11, and has a depending threaded lug 22, engaging the corresponding end of the differential screw 12. Mounted on the truck 20 is a tablewhereof the L-shaped section 23 (Fig. III) is stationary, and the rectangular section 24 movable along the longer extremity 23a of the first mentioned section toward and away from the shorter extremity 23)b of the latter. These table sections 23, 24, re-

meY l' y an interchangeable crank handle 38.

spectively carry opposing groups of instrumentalities in the form of rollers 25, 25, 26, and 27, 28; adapted to engage a blank rod, such as shown at R, at different points along opposite sides incidental to bending it in a manner to be presently explained. Of the rollers comprising the first mentioned group, those marked 25, 25 are carried by a common slide 29 that is adjustable longitudinally in a head 30; while the one designated 26, is sus-tained in the laterally directed end of a bar 3l, having` pivotal connection at 32, with a supporting` head 33, so that it may be swung upwardly and rearwardly out of the way when necessary. The heads 30, 33 are shiftable along a common longitudinal guide slot 34 in the extremity l23b of the table section 23, and separately adjustable in accordance.

with suitable scale graduations at 35, Fig. lll, by means of screws 37 operable by The rollers 27, 28 of the second group aforesaid are likewise adjustable in heads 39, 4G, and said heads in turn separately shiftable in accordance with scale :markings 4l along a `groove 42 in the vmovable table section 24, by

individual actuatingscrews 43, 44. The head 39alsc permitsswivel adjustment of the roller 27., through provision of a manually operable worm .au-d gear couple 45. ln addition to vthe appurtenances already described, the stationary table section 23 further supports a holding means having .the ,form of clamp 46, `that is adjustable along a groove 47, extending lengthwise of the extremity 23a, and at right angles to the yslot 34 and groove 42 for the roller heads 30, .'33, and 39, 40. Here again, a `hand screw .48 and graduated markings 49 are provided .to facilitate adjustment. To detenmine proper positioning of the blank bars R in the apparatus, I employ la stop or limiting gauge 50, capable of being set in different positions along the inner edge of the shorter extremity 23b of the table section .23. l

The means for reciproeating1 the movable table section24 include an electric .motor 5l., Figs IV and V-that is mounted on the platform 20, and, through speed reduction gear-ing. 52, drives a sha-ft 53 journalled in a frame ,54 which provides the supportiiig slide guidcways 55, for the said movable table section. At the inner end, the shaft 53, has affixed to it a gear pinion 56, in mesh with a 4Jtoothed rack 57 which is engaged in. a rabbetedgroove 58, in the bottom of the movable .tablc section 24, with capacity for relative adjustment, by aid of a screw `59, crank handle 60, and coordinated scale markings (il along the contiguous edges of said Amovable table section andthe extremity 23"L of the stationary section In practice, the table section 24 is given va fixed movement and caused to makeone complete reciprocation at each actuation. Such operation can be predetermined by use of suitable standard electrieal appliances in the circuit including a reversing limit switch 62, and a stop switch 63, capable of actuation directly by the rack 57 of the table section 24 as it reaches the limit of its movements in opposite directions as conventionally indicated by the dot-anddash lines in Fig. VI. It :is to be particularly noted in this connection that the adjustment of the table section 24 with respect t0 the rack 57 permits regulation of the effective throw relative to the stationary table section 23 and the rollers 25, 26 carried thereby.

ln use ofthe apparatus, the blank rod R is placed in the .clam-ps 46 0f the two carriages l0, its position, longitudinally, being determined through proper ;setting of the gauges 50,. and sagging thereof prevented by a suitable rollersupport -62L at the center, see Figs. land Il. The motors 51 ,on the carriages ll() are then simultaneously started to concurrently advance the movable table sections 24. As a result, the rollers 27 28 and the movable table lsections 24, 24 are first brought into con-v tact with the corresponding lside of the rod ends projecting beyond the clamps 46, and,

1n continued movement., V cause such rod ends to be bent laterally about the outer cornersof the line-d jaws of said clamps. As'th-e opera.- tion preceeds, the rollers 26 on the stationary table sections next come into play, and, :by cooperation with the roller 28, initiate Yangular ,terminal bendsin the rod R. As the table sections l24, `24 approach the inward limit of movement shown in `Fig. Il), the rollers 25, 25 on the stationary table sections 23 enter into yaction -for Afinal cooperationk with the opposing rollers 27,28. vAt this juncture., the limit switches 62 are tripped by the racks 57 vassocia-,ted with the movable table sections 24 ,to .effect reversal of the ,motors 5 1 and return are Withdrawn-from thesphzere of activitysimply by swinging their supports 31 rearwardly about the ,pivotal connections 32 with the heads 33. By longitudinal adjustment of the vheads supporti-ng theseveial rollers 25, ,26, 2,7 :and 2,8, it nwill be obvious that .the angle and length .of the segment s of the Vrod R, ,as well las the qproportions of `the segments s and s2 may be varied ,to suit ,different vrequirements of practice. Vhen a longer or sherter ccntraflspa'n s2 is desired, this may be had through relative shifting ofthe carriages l0 on the rails 11 by means of the differential screw l2.

Bends diversified as to depth (either the same or different at opposite ends of the bar R) can be determined through positional adjustment of the clamps 46 and through variation in the effective throw of the movable table sections 24; obtainable by adjusting the latter with respect to their actuating racks 57.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with the apparatus of my invention, and by virtue of the capacity of its parts for diversified adjustment, it is possible not only to operate upon bars of different lengths, but to bend such bars variouslyto suit the most eX- acting specifications. Moreover, by its use, batches of similar bars may be very economically produced with precision and rapidity impossible of attainment by previous methods, or with the apparatus heretofore available, for bending purposes. It is of course to be understood that the principle of my invention may be embodied in apparatus for bending blanks other than bars such as speciiically referred to herein, and the appended claims are therefore to be interpreted with this thought in min-d.

It is also readily conceivable that manually or mechanically operable means may be substituted in lieu of the electric devices herein described for actuating the differential screw l2, as well as the movable table sections 24, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim l. In bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of means to stationarily grip a bar'away from its ends, and roller instrumentalities capable of individual adjustment for alternately engaging the free ends of the bar' at different points along opposite sides to effect progressive bending Without inducing longitudinal strain in said bar.

In bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of roller instrumentalities for engaging the free ends of a bar at different points along opposite sides, said instrumentalities being individually adjustable in a common plane, and means for moving said instrumentalities relatively to bend the bar.

3. ln bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of counterpart instrumentalities for engaging the free ends of a bar at different points along opposite sides, said instrumentalities being individually adjustable in a horizontal plane with respect to one another, and means for moving said counterpart instrumentalities relatively to bend the bar.

Li. ln bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of right-and-left hand sets of instrumentalities for engaging the free endsof a bar at diiferentpoints along opposite sides,V the individual instrumentalities of each set being adjustable positionally in'a commonplane and collectively adjustable with respect to those of the` other set, and means for moving .therespective ,sets of said instrumentalities relatively` to -bend the bar.

` 5. In bending apparatus of-thecharacter described, the combination ofvholding means, opposed sets of instrumentalities for engaging a bar along opposite sides,V each of said instrumentalitiesbeingpositionally adjust-able to engage said bar at different points of its length', and means for movingthe respective sets'of said instrumentalities and the holding means relatively to bend Vthe bar.

(i. ln bending apparatus of the charactei` described, the combination of holding means for gripping a bar away from the ends thereof, right-and-left hand sets of instrumentalities for engaging the free ends of said bar at different points along opposite sides, and means for moving the engaging instrumentalities and the holding means relatively to bend the blank, said engaging instrumentalities being individually adjustable along the length of said bar.

7. In bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of holding means for gripping a bar at points away from the ends thereof, right-and-left hand sets of instrumentalities for engaging free ends of said bar at different points along opposite sides, means for moving the respective sets of instrumentalities and the holding meansrelatively to bend the bar, and said instrumentalities being positionally adjustable individually and collectively with respect to the holding means.

8. In bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of holding means for gripping a bar at points away from the ends thereof, right-and-left hand opposing groups of instrumentalities for engaging the free ends of said bar at different points along opposite sides, means to enable positional adjustment of the instrumentalities of each group relatively as well as with respect to those of the other group, means enabling adjustment of the holding means relative to both groups of the instrumentalities aforesaid, and means for moving the respective 0pposing groups of instrumentalities relatively and with respect to the holding means in bending the bar.

9. In bending apparatus of the character described, the combination of holding means for rigidly gripping a bar at points away from the ends thereof, opposing groups of individually adjustable instrumentalities for engaging the bar at different points along opposite sides of the free ends of said bar, and means for moving one of said groups to bend the bar while the othei` group of said instrumentalities remains in a stationary position,

1,0, ,Inl bending ,appara-tus of 'the @hamster described, -the Combination of :twosiiiiiflar.ear--l riags ladjustfiloige in ia longitudinal direction, each said carriage bearing opposing groups of instnumentalities forengaging a bar at dif ferent points v110mgopposite sides `maar ,the ends th-ereof, the individual iiiStru-men-talities of each `group fbeiig positionally adjustable abut ,La horizontal pliail, and .associated means for moving some ,of the instiumenltali'ties aorgesaid relatively to ,efect; bending f 0i the :bar V:end/s lign right-and--let 'hand direc- .tionsl In testimony wiierweof, have ,hereunto signed fname at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this lstday of June, 1926;.`

HERMANN M. HESSENBRLCH; 

